Die mechanism for constructing metallic wheels



June 24, 1930. F; B ER 1,765,757

DIE MECHANISM FOR CONSTRUCTING METALLIC WHEELS Filed April 19. 1926 w lllllllllillllMINIMUM M Q Hing;

m x 2 frulTfo u? WKBEES I fittzig Patented June. 24, 1 930 APANY,. OE/BUGHANA1, MIGHIGAN,-A. CGRPORATEGN=0F MICHIGAN DIE iwinormms-M-ron oonsrano'rma iME-TALLiG. WH ELS,

Application filed 19,

The presentinvention relates to die mechanism for constructing metallic wheels, and particularly wheels of the spoke type.

, In prior application Serial 'No. 33,657 filed on May 29, 1925, by myselfandl Edmund C; Mogford, we disclosed an improved construction of metallic wheel, and method of making the same. Thisywheel is of the spoke type and is built up. or "assembled from two main parts-a cast hollow'spokef structure and an outer rim con sisting of" a steel band.v As vfully described in the afore; said application, these itwo units are rigid: ly joined together by pressing different poro tions of the band into interlocking engagement with the ends of the hollow spokes.

The-present inventionpertains to the die mechanism for performing this pressing operation, and has as its general object to provi'de an improved construction of diemechanism by which this operation can be per- "formed accurately and {ex editiously.v

One of the more speci c objects of the invent on is to providean mproved construction of stationary ,die o r spoke support ing meanswhich can be. readily epenedfor quickly shifting the wheel to. successlveoperating positions; and .wh ch, when lIl'ltEi closed position, is firmly .held ,in engage,

ment' with the spoke by the'pressure incident to the pressing operation. o 1 Another object is to provide an improved construction of resilient Wheel supporting means located between .thejtwo sections of the stationary diey v on which supporting means'the wheel canfbe revolved for presenting the difierentportions thereof to the above pressing'operation."

'Otherobjects and advantages of' 'the 1n}- "ventionwill appear from the following de- 'scriptioi'i of a preferred embodiment thereof. ,fInf the,drawin'g illustrating this emf bodiment: I 7 i, Fig.1 is a sidejele'vational"view;ofthe present die mechanism, a po'rtion'ofjthe two ing-operation. 1

was. s en a... ioasee.

stationarydie members being broken'away. Y

"Fi 2 is a front elcvational view of the sameythe front supporting or die member being'broken away. Y Fig. '3' .is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of supporting the spoke in the stationary die means, and

Fig. 4isfa's1m lar view showingthe up- FBED RIGK BUnGERjor "111L35 ..MiGHIGANQASSIGNOR To CI ABK EQUIPMENT C 1 l per p'ressing die down in the operation of pressinga portion of the rim into the end 0 'Inovable die havingan enlargedhead'g13 I through which pressure is applied tothis die member from any suitable power press,

suchasa hydraulic press. A' springfl is interposedbetween thebearing ll and the;

head "13, and" this springfraises the mov; w

performance of each press-I The female supporting die "8 comprises two cooperating" die portions 15 and 1.6 adaptedto engage overthe sides ofthewheel spoke for peripherally supporting the spoke p able dieafter the structure. in the pressing operation, and co v operating wlthxtlie male ,d1e'12 toaccomplish the desired result of fir mlysecu'ring the rim upon said spokestructure. The vdief portionf15 is. stationary, constituting'fan integral part of thestandard 7 andthe "die portion 1 61 s movable relative thereto, con;

s'tituting an'integral .part of afhinged armi 1 17.. This construction forms inle ffect a split die one part of whichis stationaryfand the v other part of whichis capabl e j of -being re wheel spoke. This avoids the. necessityof any latch mechan sm between the split halves of the female die and assures that the spoke willbe rigidly held between these two halves.

To, facilitate handling of the wheel in bringing the successive spoke ends around into. position where they may be operated upon by the plunger die 12 I have provided a resilient wheel support all between the two halves of the stationary. die. This resilient wheel support preferably consists of a section of spring metal of strap formhaving its intermediate portion .anchored to the base plate 6, as indicated at l2 and having its ends48 looped back upon themselves to provide spaced resilient surfaces for engaging the lower portion of the wheel. This resilient supporting device normally tends to force the wheel upwardly and thus takes the weight of the wheel off of the stationary diev inemb er15 when the stationary die is open. However, as soon as the pressure of the pressing die 12 becomes effective on the wl eel rim the wheel is pressed down- 1 wardly against the resilient pressure of this supporting means ll and thepad and flared neck portion come down into firm engagement with the female die surfaces; By. the provision of this resilient wheel. supporting I means l1 the handling of the wheel unit in the die mechanism is greatly facilitated.

to. bring the next succeeding spoke into registry with thedepressions 33 and 84:.

QlVhile the :foregoing description and drawings disclose an embodiment of my invention which I deem preferable, it will of course be understood that the invention is not limited 'to' the specific arrangement therein described and shown, e;-:cept in so far as claims may be ,drawn to specific features of arrangement, but includes generically the subject matter of the. broader claims.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersePatent, is'

1. Indie mechanismfor pressing portions of a Wheel rim into interlocking engagement -with a hollow"sp"oke structure, the

combination of a male'Tpressing' die for pressing a solid portion ofthe rim down into cupped engagement with openings in the spoke structure and female die means, adapted to cooperate with said male die and comprising two separable supporting members adapted to engage over ,and support the spoke during said pressing operation. v

2. In die mechanism for constructing metallicwheels, the combination of a plunger die'adapted to indent portions of the wheel rim into engagement with'a hollow spoke strueture, and femal die means adapted to s cooperate with said plunger die,'said female I die being split into two portions having relative separating movement in a .plane extending transversely of thewheel and adapt-'- ed to receive and support a spoke of said spoke [structure therebetween during the pressing operation.

3. In die mechanism for constructing me tallie wheels, the combination of a movable"- male die adapted toindent portions :ofthe wheel rim into interlocking engagement with depressions in a spoke structure, and a female, die cooperating with said male die ing, two relatively movable "die .meinbers adapted; to peripherally support the spoke structure during such operation.

, 4. In die mechan sm Ior constructing medie adapted tocountersink portions {of the wheel run into interlockingengagement with pads on the outer ends of a spoke structure, and meansco npris ng two 'rela .90 ,tallio wheels, the combination ofa movabletively movable members adapted to extend under into supporting engagement fwitli'fthe innerside of each pad during-the aforesaid pressing operation. e 1- In die mechanism for pressing portions of a wheel'riin into interlocking engage j ment with a spoke structure, the combination of a stationary supporting member having a depression therein adaptedto engage over one side of a spoke,a pivotally operating depression therein adapted to'engage over the opposite side of said spoke, said pivotally mounted member being movable in a plane extending transversely of outer surfaces extending under and having supporting engagement with a pad" on the outer end of the spoke, and a reciprocating plunger die for pressing a portion ofthe wheel, rim into interlocking engagement with said pad.

I 6. In die ;mechanism for constructing ine-' tall-1c wheels, the combination of a pressing die for pressing portions of a wheel rim into interlocking engagement with a spokestfruc mounted supporting member having afco the wheel, said supporting members having iis ture, and a supporting member movable transversely of the plane of the wheel for supporting said spoke structure and adapt- 7 ed ,tobe held in engagement with one of the spokes thereof by the pressure of the afore' said pressing operation.

'7. Indie mechanism for constructing metallic'wheels, the combination of an indenting die for pressing portions of a wheel'riin during the pressing operation, and compr1s= 7 into interlocking engagement with a spoke structure, and means for supporting said spoke structure, lncludmg a fixed die member and a co-operating movabledie member held in co-operative relation to said fined operation. V V V 8'."In die mechanism for construct ng medie member by the pressure of the pressing tallic wheels, the combination of a pressing die adaptedto force-portions of a' wheel r m clnto 'interlocklng engagement wlth a spoke structure, a stationary supporting tallic vwheels, the combination of a pressing die for pressing portions of a wheel rim into interlocking engagement with a spoke V structure, a statlonary supporting member "for sa d spoke structure, a movable supporting member'co-operating with sai'dsta- 'tionarysupporting member, and a pivot for said Ymovable supporting member. disposed below and laterallyof the point or engagement of said pressing die with 'the wheel whereby the reaction pressure incident to said pressing operation is operative to force said movable supporting member into engagement with said spoke structure. 4 v

"10.[The combination with a-pressing die tor-pressing portions of a wheel rim into interlocking engagement with a spoke struct'ure, of a stationary die member having die surfaces adapted to embrace a portion of each spoke and to engage under a pad at the outer end of the spoke, a co-operating die member having die surfaces for eme bracing the other sideof the spoke and for engagingrunder said pad, and a pivot for said latter the member whereby said die 7 ,member may be swungout-cof engagement '50,

with said spoke structure after the comple tion :of a pressing operation, the axis of said pivot being disposed below said die surfaces laterally of the'fplane of the wheel whereby the reaction pressure of said pressing operation is operative to force'saidlat ter die member into firm engaig'em'ent wjth said spoke structure.

,11. In 7 die: mechanism for constructing metalh cwheels, the "combination of a presslng-d e adapted to operate upon the rimof the, wheel, a pair of supporting members adapted to engage the spoke structure of the fw-heel, to hold the same against rotation durving the pressing operation, and resilient wheel supporting means on which said wheel can berevolved' between successive opcra 'tions of said pressing die.

12. In, die mechanism for constructing metallic wheels, the combination of a press- 1ng die for pressing portions ofthe wheelrim into interlocking engagement with a 7 spoke structure, a stationary die member for supporting said spoke structure, and resilient wheel supporting means for yieldablysupporting said wheel relative to saldstationary die member, V

13. In die mechanism for constructing metallic wheels, the combination of a'pressing die for pressing portions of the wheel rim' into lnterlocking engagement --w1th a spoke structure, a support comprising two relatively movable portions adapted to 'sup-- port said spoke structure during the pressing operation, and resilient wheel supporting 'means disposed between the relatively movable portions of said supportand on; which said wheel can be revolved between successive pressing operations.

: 14. In die mechanism for V constructing metallic wheels, the combination ofapr'ess ing die for pressing portions of the wheel rim into interlocking engagement with a spoke structure, an upright standard having supporting surfaces adapted to engage "said spoke structure, a pivoted arm having supporting surfaces adapted to co-operate with said first named surfaces for support ing said spoke structure, and resilient Wheel supporting means disposed between said standard and said pivoted arm and comprisinga section of strap metal having resilient ends adapted to engage the lower part of the wheel rim.

15. In die mechanism for manufacturing metallic Wheels, the combination-of a pressing die adapted to indent a portion of the rim of a wheel, a pair of supporting mem-' bers adapted to engage and supportthe spoke structure of .the wheel, to hold the same against rotation during the pressing operation, and wheel supporting means on which the 'wheel can be revolved between a successive operatlons ofsaid pressing die.

16. In die mechanism for joining the'rim "and spokes of a'wheel, the combination of an outer die adapted tooperate upon the outer surface ofthe wheel rim, an inner die adapted to receive and hold a spoke, said 'inner a diecomprising two die portions, members supporting said dies and having relative separatmg movement n a VQI'UCll'PlZCDGQX- tending transversely of the 'wheel for permitting the spokes to be movedsuccessively into operating position betweensaid inner die'portions byrotation'of the wheel, and

means supporting said outer and said inner dies for relative operatingmovement radial-c ly of the wheel. v

17. In the mechanism for constructing metallic wheels,"the combination of a :plung- 

